Bionics Institute

The Bionics Institute was founded by Professor Graeme Clark, who developed the world-first bionic ear here in Melbourne. It is a world-renowned centre of hearing research and is part of the team developing the Australian bionic eye. It also has projects underway to help people with debilitating conditions including epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease and inflammatory bowel disease.

It is an independent medical research institute affiliated with The University of Melbourne.

Its three major research themes are:

Bionic hearing – research centred around the development of improved solutions for adults and children with hearing impairments, including new technologies for use in cochlear implants and hearing aids, as well as the development of novel drug delivery strategies to the inner ear

Neurobionics – the development of implantable devices for the diagnosis and treatment of central nervous system disorders such as treatment-resistant epilepsy, as well as severe movement disorders and psychiatric conditions.